Domestic cats have been kept as household pets perhaps since as long ago as ancient Egyptian times. Cats continue to be exceedingly popular as house pets, particularly as they are smart, and highly independent animals, generally requiring a minimum of care by the owner. It is known, however, that is it sometimes necessary to keep a cat amused or otherwise occupied, so as to reduce the chances that the animal will turn its attention to furniture or breakable objects in the house.
Accordingly, many different toys have been developed to amuse and keep cats occupied. In that vein, the present invention provides a catnip ball which lights up in response to motion of the ball. The combination of catnip scent, ball movement, and light emitted from the ball provides nearly indefinite entertainment for a house cat.
Catnip, as known to cat enthusiasts, is an aromatic perennial herb (Nepeta cataria) which grows up to about 3 ft. tall. It is native to Europe and is naturalized to North America. Typically, catnip grows along dry roadsides and in mountainous regions up to about 5,000 ft. Catnip is harvested in summer and fall when in full flower. Catnip contains iridoids, tannins, and volatile oil comprising primarily alpha and beta-nepetalactone, citronellol, and geraniol. This herb is also used in human herbal medicine for treatment of a variety of conditions, including barrenness, to hasten delivery, to help expectoration, to settle the stomach especially in indigestion and/or colic, and is also thought useful in treating headaches brought on by digestive problems. Catnip is well known to cause excitation in cats.